# Tongue Rolling **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622 "2003-07-15T12:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/1 "2003-07-15T12:21:36Z")
Am I the only person that can “roll their tongue” **downwards**??? I know I’m not but I just never met anyone who could do it… Please let me know… ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/2 "2003-07-15T12:31:00Z")
How do you mean roll? Tip down then back, or edges down then in? I can do both of those. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/3 "2003-07-15T12:34:46Z")
“Edges down and in” - and NICE ONE !!! - You are the first person that I ever heard of that could do this… do you know (of) anyone else who can do this ??? ---
**Author:** ![DemonSpawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@DemonSpawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonSpawn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/4 "2003-07-15T13:21:47Z")
The ability to curl, roll or fold your tongue is a genetic trait. Either you can do it, or you can’t. More info here: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?cmd=entry&id=189300](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?cmd=entry&id=189300) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/5 "2003-07-15T14:16:22Z")
John Conway, the mathematician who invented the game Life(not to be confused with the board game, cereal, or magazine of that name), had trained himself in the art of origami. But, he was born with extraordinary tongue-folding abilities. In an issue of Omni or Discover(it was back in the 70’s and I can’t remember which), Conway explains some of his theories on geometry, artificial life, and cellular automata. There are also several shots of his tongue acrobatics. If only I could find those pics online… ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/6 "2003-07-18T00:38:56Z")
I can roll my tongue downwards as well. I can even touch my tongue to my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/7 "2003-07-18T01:44:08Z")
What’s weird is that I can twist my tongue to the right but for many years have been unable to twist it to the left. Only recently I been able to do it but only with great difficulty. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/8 "2003-07-18T01:48:41Z")
Weird, I’ve found I can turn my tounge under as you discribe, but only if I take a sip of my pop first. It helps to not think about it too, or it just stiffens up when I try. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/9 "2003-07-18T05:01:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tikki \* > \*\*What’s weird is that I can twist my tongue to the right but for many years have been unable to twist it to the left. Only recently I been able to do it but only with great difficulty. \*\* Hey, good point. I never noticed it before, but I can’t roll left either. We demand a roll tongue smiley to go with our roll eyes smiley, what say ? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/10 "2003-07-18T05:10:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xash \* > \*\*Hey, good point. I never noticed it before, but I can’t roll left either. > > We demand a roll tongue smiley to go with our roll eyes smiley, what say ? \*\* You tell us, Mod Man. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/11 "2003-07-18T06:07:44Z")
Previous GQ thread: [Stupid tongue tricks.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=183228) ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/12 "2003-07-18T07:27:40Z")
I can roll my tongue edges up then in. I can invert the fore half of my tongue to the left or right with equal facility. I can touch the very tip of my nose with my tongue. I can even extend my tongue part-way into either nostril. I have never previously considered rolling the edges of my tongue underneath. I cannot do it. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tongue-rolling/188622/13 "2003-07-18T07:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The MacDairmuid \* > **…I can even extend my tongue part-way into either nostril.** Now there’s a nasty-ass party trick !